James T. McIlwain
M.D., Tulane University, 1961
Professor
Department of Neuroscience
214 Medical Research Laboratory
Tel. (401) 863-3674
Email: [email protected]
Research Summary
The superior colliculus of the midbrain translates sensory signals from the eye, ear and body surface into coordinated orienting movements of the head, eyes and trunk. These relatively direct sensorimotor transformations afford a useful model for neural mechanisms that underlie behavioral processes of greater complexity. The research of this laboratory is directed at understanding the neural circuitry of the superior colliculus and its connections to motor systems responsible for orienting behavior. The techniques applied include measurement of neural activity during eye movements in alert animals and anatomical and electrophysiological studies of collicular neural pathways to, from and within the superior colliculus.
Publications
McIlwain, J.T. (1990) Topography of eye-position sensitivity of saccades evoked electrically from the cat's superior colliculus. Visual Neuroscience 4:289-298.
McIlwain, J.T. (1991) Distributed spatial coding in the superior colliculus: a review. Visual Neuroscience 6:3-13.
McIlwain, J.T. (1991) Visual input to commissural neurons of the cat's superior colliculus. Visual Neuroscience 7:389-393.
Saccadic eye movements evoked by electrical stimulation in caudal regions of the cat's superior colliculus (asterisk) drive the eye toward a particular orbital position.